want to get in the papers," cried Jill fiercely. "Let us
off! Huh!"

A great lightness surrounded Amory. He realized that he was safe and
only then did he appreciate the full enormity of what he might have
incurred.

"However," continued Olson, "there's a protective association among the
hotels. There's been too much of this stuff, and we got a 'rangement
with the newspapers so that you get a little free publicity. Not the
name of the hotel, but just a line sayin' that you had a little trouble
in 'lantic City. See?"

"I see."

"You're gettin' off light--damn light--but--"

"Come on," said Amory briskly. "Let's get out of here. We don't need a
valedictory."

Olson walked through the bathroom and took a cursory glance at Alec's
still form. Then he extinguished the lights and motioned them to follow
him. As they walked into the elevator Amory considered a piece of
bravado--yielded finally. He reached out and tapped Olson on the arm.

"Would you mind taking off your hat? There's a lady in the elevator."

Olson's hat came off slowly. There was a rather embarrassing two minutes
under the lights of the lobby while the night clerk and a few belated
guests stared at them curiously; the loudly dressed girl with bent head,
the handsome young man with his chin several points aloft; the inference
was quite obvious. Then the chill outdoors--where the salt air was
fresher and keener still with the first hints of morning.

"You can get one of those taxis and beat it," said Olson, pointing to
the blurred outline of two machines whose drivers were presumably asleep
inside.

"Good-by," said Olson. He reached in his pocket suggestively, but Amory
snorted, and, taking the girl's arm, turned away.

"Where did you tell the driver to go?" she asked as they whirled along
the dim street.

"The station."

"If that guy writes my mother--"

"He won't. Nobody'll ever know about this--except our friends and
enemies."

Dawn was breaking over the sea.

"It's getting blue," she said.

"It does very well," agreed Amory critically, and then as an
after-thought: "It's almost breakfast-time--do you want something to
eat?"

"Food--" she said with a cheerful laugh. "Food is what queered the
party. We ordered a big supper to be sent up to the room about two
o'clock. Alec didn't give the waiter a tip, so I guess the little
bastard snitched."

Jill's low spirits seemed to have gone faster than the scattering night.
"Let me tell you,"